Website maintenance services for WordPress

Statements like this tend to make me enemies. But that’s okay with me. My goal as a consultant in website management and the WordPress platform isn’t to prop up my industry. It’s to help you maximize the value of your website—even if that means ruffling some feathers. I provide website maintenance services and training to businesses all over the United States and I am often disappointed in the reputation of my industry. As a WordPress expert, I hear horror stories from prospects and clients. Lots of them. Mostly from business owners feeling held hostage by their website developer–who fell off the face of the earth.

Emily Journey

Need reliable website maintenance services? Contact me for information and pricing. With my subscription based website maintenance services, you get dedicated time on your website each month.

The truth about website maintenance services

As a business leader, you don’t have the time, resources, or knowledge base to devote to your own website management—or maybe you do, but you’d rather spend your resources directly on product development or relationship building or whatever it is that makes your company tick. In addition to my work as a website manager, I am a WordPress trainer and advisor. I meet people all the time who decide to take back the reigns of their company website by learning WordPress. All too often, that decision is fueled by negative experiences with website developers. Too many website management service agencies are thrilled to take your business, but when it comes to fulfilling their promises, they just don’t show up. They don’t listen to you. They don’t get back to you. They don’t know what you need, so they can’t give it to you. Eventually you come to realize: it’s time to get out of this relationship.

So, how am I different?

I’m not a website developer. More than a year ago, I made to decision to let go of the website development part of my business. Instead, I focus on website maintenance services and WordPress training exclusively. That decision has changed the quality of my work life dramatically. It means I can be available to my clients for those seemingly small but important updates to their websites. And, my clients are happy.

Unprofessional, overpriced web developers and designers are the reality for so many businesses today. But it doesn’t have to be your reality. Whatever your company website needs are, let’s talk about them! Contact me to receive information about my website maintenance services.

How to tell when your website maintenance services are NOT adding value

How can you recognize when your website management agency is working for itself—and not for you?

Every situation is unique, but here are five tell-tale signs that your website maintenance services may not be giving you a fair return on your investment:

1. Failing to communicate

As I’m sure you’ve heard, communication is a two-way street. You want to work with someone who can speak AND listen: someone who not only hears what your website management needs are, but who can translate them into actionable steps and keep you informed about progress.

You should never be left to wonder what your developer or content manager is up to. If she drops off the planet for weeks at a time, you’re wasting valuable time and money trying to keep track of a lost cause.

2. Over-promising and under-delivering

When it comes to website maintenance services, the old adage is true. If it sounds too good to be true…

This can be a hard line to walk, especially if you’re relatively new to working with web content management agencies. You want to work with an ambitious team with big ideas, but you don’t want to be paying month after month for promises that never materialize. Don’t even get me started on so-called SEO services that produce zero results!

To gauge whether your agency’s promises are realistic, ask questions. Don’t be afraid to request examples of past work that point to your agency’s success with similar business needs and KPIs.

3. Not being flexible

Sometimes even successful businesses become stuck in their own processes and old ways of thinking. Always remember that your website maintenance services should work for you. Your website manager should be willing to listen to your needs and adapt as necessary.

4. Refusing to provide administrator level access

I’ve talked about this all-too-common problem before: it’s unethical for your web developer to restrict your access to your own website. At the beginning of your working relationship, make sure it’s clear that you will register your own domain name and expect top level access to your hosting account and WordPress dashboard.

It’s simple: your site is yours. If your web developer, designer, or content manager won’t give you access, don’t work with them!

5. Just…being…too…slow…

Even though this issue comes last, it may be the most common problem with website maintenance services today. I can’t count the number of times clients have approached me feeling utterly defeated by an unresponsive, almost-comically-slow web developer. The key word, though, is almost—it’s never funny when your website goes offline or your registration form breaks on the last day of sign-ups for your webinar.

If your requests take weeks to get a response, let alone a solution, your website manager is not providing you value.

Are you ready to take back your website?

Even if your webmaster is putting up all of these red flags, it may be tempting to think, “But I’ve already spent so much money on this agency’s website services. I can’t afford to drop them now!” And this makes sense—in fact, it’s so common that there’s a whole field of study around this sunk cost fallacy.

But the truth?

You can’t afford not to.

Consider all the time you spend, wasted, on chasing down your developer or arguing for the right to access your own content. Think about the hours you could spend on value-added activities or on taking a little extra time off . . . ugh.

About Emily Journey

Hi, I'm Emily. I provide virtual and in-person WordPress training throughout the United States. I am the author of Unlocking WordPress, a guide filled with practical tips for WordPress beginners. I love helping business owners leverage technology to increase sales and social impact. I write, speak, and coach full-time.

Your Website Management Team

Rachel Pfanz and Emily Journey lead the WP Artisans team. They love helping business owners leverage technology to increase sales and social impact.

What People Are Saying

“Emily has managed our website for 3 years and at least 80% of our business has come from the website she built for us. We’ve tried print, radio and online ads, but nothing compares to a website that is functional, well designed, and at the top of the list. Emily knows how to do this and the web site is the single biggest reason we have grown from 3 planes to six planes in just two years.”--Pat Rooney Owner, Sundowner Aviation

"After some research and reviewing references, we chose Emily Journey to provide WordPress training for our team. Emily was personable, effective and thorough in her approach to instruction. She was able to accommodate the diversity of skill levels and knowledge among our students and keep the classes moving. Since the class we have all been able to function successfully in the WordPress environment – and it’s great to know that follow up assistance was included in our instructional package. Emily will impress and then empower. She is a true professional and knows how to create a great learning moment."--Scott Forrest Senior Vice President, Equity, Inc.

"Emily, Thank you so much for helping set up my website and showing me how to use WordPress. Your training turned the intimidating task of website development into something that was well started by the end of the session. After the training, I was able to add content to the site without problems using the techniques you showed me."--Walt Neubauer Sr. Oracle DBA

This website is not affiliated with or sponsored by Automattic, Inc., The WordPress Foundation, or the WordPress Open Source Project.

In the spirit of full disclosure, some of the links on my site are affiliate links, which means that I may get a small commission if you decide to purchase anything from recommended companies. I only recommend products & systems that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands.